Dr. Frank Zaldivar Inaugural Exercise as Medicine Memeorial Lecture
Professor Shannon Siegel, NASPEM President, acknowledges Naomi Gauthier, MD, for her great inaugural presentation honoring Dr. Frank Zaldivar, as part of the 2024 NASPEM Biannual Meeting, “They want to play too: Applying exercise science to children and youth with chronic health conditions.” (Aug 10, 2024)
Pioneering Sleep Health Research: Addressing the Crisis of Insufficient and Poor Sleep in Children for Lifelong Wellness at UC Irvine RCEMS
Ariel Neikrug, PhD
Director of Sleep Health Program
Message from the SLEEP Health Program Director
Sleep is a fundamental pillar of health, essential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Addressing the key components of sleep health—sleep amount, timing, efficiency, regularity, quality, and daytime sleepiness—is crucial for preventing health issues and promoting long-term wellness.
Insufficient and poor sleep, particularly in the pediatric population, has reached concerning levels. Poor sleep is not just a symptom but a significant contributor to serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. These issues highlight the urgent need for innovative solutions to improve sleep health early in life to prevent disease and support lifelong health.
At the UC Irvine Health Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep (RCEMS), we are dedicated to pioneering research into sleep health. Our work allows for comprehensive characterizations of sleep, pinpointing specific factors and understanding how they relate to other functions and impact disease. This includes understanding how insufficient sleep in children can lead to long-term health consequences, underscoring the need for early and effective intervention.
The journey toward better health starts with understanding the vital role of sleep. By prioritizing research and interventions that address the various components of sleep health, we can transform health outcomes, ensuring individuals enjoy better health, increased productivity, and improved quality of life.
Thank you for your interest in RCEMS. Together, we can uncover new insights and develop innovative strategies to enhance the health and well-being of children and adults, both within our community and beyond.
Ariel Neikrug, PhD
Director of Sleep Health Program
PI, iSLEEP – Interacting Mechanisms of Sleep and Endurance Exercise in Pediatrics
Research Center for Exercise Medicine and Sleep (RCEMS)
Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
School of Medicine, University of California Irvine
PERC–TVT Research Immersion Program at UCI
June 4, 2024: Congratulations to the TVT students who successfully completed the 5-day PERC–TVT Research Immersion Program at UCI. This immersive experience introduced high school students to research environments and included developing suturing and ultrasound skills, exploring surgical innovations like robotics, and learning about pathology. They also visited the BEAMS Laboratory, spent time in Edwards Scientific, studied sleep assessment, investigated salivary cortisol as a stress marker, and engaged in community-based participatory research. The program concluded with discussions and hands-on human performance measurements and the health impact of sugary drinks.
ACSM Annual Meeting–Fellow Presentation
On May 30, 2024, Dr. Ancilla Rompala, MD, a 2023 CHOC Fellow
in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, presented her research on fitness
assessments in pediatric patients recovering from Multisystem Inflammatory
Syndrome (MIS-C) at the ACSM annual meeting. Her study, titled “Using CPET to
Evaluate Possible Long-term Effects of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
(MIS-C) in Pediatric Populations”, highlights the advantages of using
cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to identify respiratory and cardiac
limitations. These include subtle issues (e.g., ΔV̇E/ΔV̇CO2, ΔV̇O2/ΔHR, and
post-exercise FEV1) that may not be detectable through static lung function
measurements or ECG alone.
Yoav Weber’s presentation at the School of Biological Sciences’ Excellence in Research Event
On April 22, Yoav Weber, a PERC Bio 199 student, presented his research at the School of Biological Sciences’ Excellence in Research Event. His study, titled “Examining Exercise Responses in Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patients and Healthy Controls Utilizing Cutting-Edge Exercise Assessment in the Human Performance Laboratory.” Yoav’s work highlights how exercise assessments can uncover limitations in individuals with Cystic Fibrosis, including subtle ones, that may not be apparent through static lung function measurements alone. Congratulations to Yoav for an outstanding job and earning a score of 98 on his paper!
